This invention relates generally to artificial lenses, and more specifically, to packaging used in the distribution of artificial lenses.
The use of artificial lenses has become a very important method for remedying a wide variety of ophthalmic problems. Artificial lenses include lenses disposed on the exterior of the patient""s eyes (e.g., contact lenses) and lenses disposed within the eye itself (xe2x80x9cintraoccular lensesxe2x80x9d).
Artificial lenses must generally be packaged in saline solution to prevent the lenses from drying out. A typical package for artificial lenses is a sealed glass vial wherein the artificial lens is submerged within a suitable quantity of saline solution.
A continuous problem with respect to such packaging is the difficulty of extracting the lens from the vial. If the user attempts to extract the lens by pouring the saline from the vial, the lens tends to remain within the vial, adhered to the interior wall of the vial. If the user attempts to extract the lens using an extraction instrument, the lens moves freely within the saline solution, making it difficult to grasp the lens in a way which will not damage the lens. This is especially true because most lenses are transparent and difficult to see within the saline solution.
The problem of extracting artificial lenses from saline-containing packaging is most acute in the case of intraoccular lenses. Such lenses are generally much smaller than contact lenses, having a nominal diameter generally less than about 8 millimeters. Moreover, intraoccular lenses are frequently made from highly hydrated materials which are easily damaged by mechanical instruments.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved artificial lens packaging which will avoid the problems with prior art in an efficient and inexpensive manner.
The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a combination suitable for packaging an artificial lens comprising (a) a container encompassing a volume between about 1 cubic centimeter and about 7 cubic centimeters, and (b) a removable insert disposed within the container, the insert comprising insert walls which define an enclosed insert chamber sufficiently large to hold an artificial lens, the insert walls being sufficiently thin to allow manipulation of an artificial lens disposed within the insert chamber by applying mechanical force to the exterior of the insert walls.
In a typical embodiment, the container is a glass vial having enclosure means and the removable insert is an elastomeric nipple attached to the enclosure means.
The invention greatly simplifies the procedure by which artificial lenses can be removed from the combination of the invention. In a typical embodiment, the user need merely to remove the enclosure means carrying the elastomeric nipple, grasp the artificial lens through the walls of the nipple, and extracting the artificial lens from the nipple, using a forceps or other suitable tool. The invention is especially useful in the packaging of intraoccular lenses made of soft acrylic and other hydrophilic materials.